Going away to college can be a difficult time for teenagers.
Leaving family and friends behind, moving to a new town or city,
adjusting to life on their own are just some of the challenges they
will face.
Hollister – Going away to college can be a difficult time for teenagers. Leaving family and friends behind, moving to a new town or city, adjusting to life on their own are just some of the challenges they will face.
But Cherry and Cheryl Hurtado will have an advantage over most of San Benito High School’s recent graduates – each other.
The twin 17-year old sisters are planning to attend California State University Stanislaus in Turlock as nursing majors, and while the pair entertained the thought of attending separate schools, it didn’t last long.
“Originally, I didn’t want to go to the same school as Cheryl,” Cherry said. “I wanted to see what it was like to be on my own. I thought I might need some time and space away from her. But our parents are really pushing us to stay together.”
“We thought about it; I wanted to go to school in Fresno,” echoes Cheryl. “We actually asked (our parents) if we could go to separate schools, but they wanted us to stay together. They said it was easier for them. It seems like it’s a security thing for them.”
Before deciding on CSU Stanislaus, Cherry had planned to go to San Francisco State University while Cheryl wanted to go to Fresno State University. But after a tour of its campus, Cherry knew that SFSU was not the college for her.
“I didn’t like it; it was really crowded,” she said. “I went to my counselor at school, and she suggested Stanislaus. I went on a school tour, and I really liked it. And San Francisco seemed so far. This way, I’m far enough away to feel like I’m on my own, but close enough that I can come home whenever I want to.”
After selecting Stanislaus, the twins’ parents suggested to Cheryl that she also consider going there. Although Cheryl has been accepted to San Jose State University, she also has a provisional acceptance to Stanislaus, based upon successful completion of a high school summer class.
Of the two, Cheryl seems the more reluctant to split up, while Cherry says time away might be good for them.
“When one of us isn’t with the other, people would say ‘where’s your sister? I never see you two apart,'” Cherry said. “But now, we like to try different things. We have different personalities. I’m more into school than she is, and Cheryl goes out a little more than I do. But we have been together for so long, in the same classes and with the same teachers, it might be good for us to be on our own for a while.”
The twins attended Sacred Heart Parish School through eighth grade and are recent SBHS graduates. For Cheryl, the thought of going to college has been easier knowing she will most likely be with her sister.
“I’m really scared, because I’ve never been away from home before for long periods of time,” Cheryl said. “But since we’ll be together, I think that will help. Since we are both majoring in nursing, we’ll be taking a lot of the same classes, the same subjects. And at least I’ll know one person there!”
Nursing runs in the Hurtado family – Cherry and Cheryl’s parents are both nurses, and Cheryl says she and her sister have shared a desire to be nurses since they were little.
And while knowing what they want to do with their lives, and having each other to count on, makes leaving for college a little easier, both girls acknowledge saying good-bye is going to be difficult.
“Right now, I don’t feel any different. I do think it’ll be nice to be on our own, do our own thing, and feel grown up,” Cheryl said. “But once we leave Hollister, I think I’m going to get homesick. I’ll probably call home all the time.”
“I’m ready for new experiences, but I’m going to miss being with my friends,” Cherry said. “I don’t think the whole college thing has really hit me yet.”
